Learning Through Doing: Service Learning in Teacher Education

All staff and students have pseudonyms . 3:55pm        Mrs. Brighten and I are the only people in the classroom. She asks me about my classes and major. She says, "If you're going to teach, it's like planning a party every day and then doing it all over again." I suppose that's a pretty accurate picture that I've seen so far in the year that I've done service learning in an elementary school, two middle schools, and now a night school. I ask her if Foothills is free or if the students' families have to pay. She says that it is free just like a public school, unless a student has to retake a class. She tells me that she's loved working here even though it is a very different environment for a teacher accustomed to a classroom setting. 4pm     There are 6 students in the classroom; some more come in. There is a focus on writing tonight, as there are about 3 students that need help with their essays. Dr. Meyer and Ms. Mills are also here no...

All staff and students have pseudonyms.  4pm     Someone comes in and tells me that I'm in charge until an English teacher gets here. She tells me that they're understaffed so Mr. Jackson is helping her with registration in the front. I tell her that I can do that.     Two students come in and Mrs. Smith, the CCHS math teacher, is still here collecting her things before leaving for the night. I tell the two students, Deanna and Anna, that we don't have Chromebooks yet since there's no teacher in the room yet. Anna tells me that she just saw Mr. Meyer in the foyer with the Chromebooks.     Dr. Meyer comes in; she says, "I'm glad you're here since Mr. Jackson is up front."     After a few minutes, Mr. Jackson comes in and sets his bag and coffee down in front of the teacher desktop computer that he normally uses; Mrs. Brighten comes in and we all say hello to one another.     There are 7 students in the room now; two on Chrome...

All staff and students have pseudonyms.  4pm     Ms. Mills is here, already in the room. Three students come in. Dr. Meyer comes in. Mrs. Brighten comes in also. There are 4 students already in the classroom when I walk in, working on computers. Ms. Mills looks through the IEPs for a student; they discuss what she sees on it.      The teachers get the Chromebooks ready for students by plugging them in and setting them on the table on one of the tables. A student comes up to Dr. Meyer and asks her if she can give her access to a quiz she failed. Dr. Meyer asks her if she would like to take it with her this time. She says yes.       Ms. Mills tells a student, Kevin, that he can ask for my help if he needs it. He sits at the desktop computer beside the teacher's computer where Ms. Mills sits. She tells me that he can be a "perfectionist," so he rarely needs help.       Ms. Mills tells me that she may print...

All staff and students have pseudonyms. 4pm     Deanna is back today, along with Ms. Mills and 3 other students that are familiar to me. Deanna wants to work on a Chromebook just like last time; the other students are working on desktop computers. More students come in and a teacher I learn is Mrs. Brighten leave the room. There is a new student that comes and Ms. Mills gives him a spiral notebook to take notes from the lessons in. Another student comes in that I've seen before, Phil. He sits beside Ms. Mills. There are 8 students in the classroom now.        Dr. Meyer comes in; Ms. Mills and Mrs. Brighten talk about something from a previous night that I wasn't here. A another student that I remember from last Tuesday is working on 10th grade Lit. He is doing a lesson on dashes, hyphens, and parentheses. There are now 9 students in the classroom. Mrs. Brighten and Dr. Meyer are talking about schedules. Ms. Mills reminds the students about the no...